It feels like I've written lots about making choices, about handling life's options in ways which empower us. Yet, I need another lesson so here I am again!
This week was (over)filled with a variety of activities and possibilities. I am SO blessed, right? Well, I allowed the plethora of commitments to overwhelm me as the week wore on and I lost sight of the blessings and the fact that I not only “get to” but “must” choose. As I talked through the situation with my coach and reflected later, here are a few of the points I now know:
- There will always be more and I cannot do everything now
- When I lose ease, I lose Jeanne
- When I try to pack it all in, I am in a place of lack, believing that the opportunity will be gone forever
And I know that no amount of time on this earth would be enough to meet every person, travel to every corner of the world, experiment with all forms of creativity, spirituality, exercise … You get the idea. As a human being, I must choose. And that means both “Yes!” and “No!”. And sometimes it means “Not now.”
So, today I looked for a question to guide me in my choice making. I needed a question that would result in yes, no, or not now. For me, what worked was:
For me, the answers here can be that it serves my ego or my codependency. Yikes! Other answers include my core values, my desire to lead. Or perhaps it serves my need to have fun or build relationships. My inner being knows at this point whether the answer is a strong “Yes!” or a strong “No!”. If time permits an activity that isn't a strong “Yes!” (sometimes these are the only options we have time for), some other questions can help:
- Who does “it” serve?
- What level of tension or ease does it bring “it” raise?
- What if “it” never happened?
- What if “it” happened later?